1. Field of the Invention
This patent document relates to protective cases for mobile devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile devices are known to sustain damage from impact, such as from a fall or being dropped by a user and from contamination, such as when damaged by water or other fluid. The damage, for example, may result in a cracked screen, scratches on a finished surface, lost or damaged buttons or controls, cracked or bent external body components, and/or failed or malfunctioning electrical components. Cases have thus been provided to protect mobile devices from such and variant types of damage.
Biometric sensors, such as fingerprint sensors, are increasingly being used as a security measure to verify the identity of the user prior to facilitating access or unlocking computing devices including mobile devices. In addition, mobile devices are increasingly being equipped with proximity sensors for detecting the presence of nearby objects, such as a face or pocket, etc. Conventional proximity sensors operate without need of any physical contact with the object, such that when the mobile device is placed in close proximity to a user or put into a pocket, the proximity sensor is triggered and the screen of the mobile device is automatically turned off to save power and/or to prevent unintended operation of the touch interface of the screen by, for example, the face or ear of the user or other objects.
Accordingly, there is a need for protective cases for mobile devices that are capable of not only providing suitable impact protection and protection from the environment such as from moisture and debris, but that are also capable of interfacing with biometric sensors employed by such devices. There is also a need for protective cases that are capable of not interfering with the desired functionality of proximity sensors of such devices.